Cutter attachment for looping machines



Aug. 28, 1962 R. M. GRAVES 3,051,104

CUTTER ATTACHMENT 1 6R LOOPING MACHINES Filed Feb. 9, 1959 2Sheets-Sheet 1 JNVENTOR. RALPH M.6I2AvEs ATT QUEY Aug. 28, 1962*- R. M'.GRAVES CUTTER ATTACHMENT FOR LOOPING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledFeb. 9, 1959 JNVENTOR. PALD H M. Gem/Es W AT TO EH53 Patented Aug. 28,1962 3,051,104 CUTTER ATTACHMENT FOR LOOPING MACHINES Ralph M. Graves,Harriman, Tenn., assignor of one-half to Roane Hosiery, Inc., Harriman,Tenn., a corporation of Tennessee Filed Feb. 9, 1959, Ser. No. 792,036 6Claims. (Cl. 11225) This invention relates to a cutter attachment foruse in connection with dial looping machines of the type employed inuniting or sewing together the edges of stockings or other knittedarticles by a continuous chain of stitching.

In machines now employed, a cutter is provided for severing the chain ofstitching between one stocking and another but due to non-uniformity inoperation the severed chain leaves ends of stitching attached to thestocking of varying lengths which are objectionable. At present the longends of stitching are shortened by a manual operation employing scissorsand frequently this results in the ends being cut too short so that thetoe seam of the stocking is likely to rip out during subsequentprocessing or while being worn.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an auxiliary cutterfor dial looping machines which operates in conjunction with theconventional cutter to cut the severed ends of the chain stitching to auniform length.

A further object of the invention resides in providing a cutter havingits blades disposed in a horizontal plane above the chain of stitchingand means associated with the cutter blades for drawing the severed endsof the chain stitching to a posiiton between the co-acting cutter bladeswhereby they are cut off to a uniform length.

A still further object of the invention resides in providing suctionmeans associated with the cutter for drawing the severed ends of thechain stitching to a cutting position which also serves to remove anddispose of the clipped ends.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a cutter attachmentwhich is simple and durable in construction, reliable and efiicient inoperation and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andin which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughoutthe same,

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a looping machine showing my inventionincorporated therein,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the auxiliary cutter applied to alooping machine,

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the cutter,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cutter, as viewed from the bottom,

FIG. 5 is a section taken on line 5--5 of FIG. 3,

FIG. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 3, and

FIG. 7 is a section taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

Referring to the drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration apreferred embodiment of the invention is shown, the numeral 5 denotesgenerally a dial looping machine of conventional construction. Themachine comprises a stationary dial 6 supported by an arm 7 attached toand extending from a bed plate 8. The dial 6 is surrounded by the usualrotatable ring 9 having a series of spaced impaling pins 10 projectingfrom its outer periphery upon which the loops of the hosiery fabric arethreaded. The ring is rotated around the dial by suitable mechanism andthe movement is continuous and uniform.

The machine is driven by a suitable source of power through beltingpassing over a driving pulley 11 mounted upon a driving shaft 12journaled in a bearing head 13 of the bed plate 8. The driving shaftpasses through a bearing opening in the arm 7 and is provided with acrank 14 for manual operation which is thrown into gear with the drivingpulley 11 by means of a slidably mounted clutch member 15 operated bymeans of a clutch lever 16, in a well known manner.

A drive shaft 17 extends at right angles to the driving shaft 12 and issupported by an arm 18 journaled on the driving shaft. A bevel gear 19on the end of drive shaft 17 meshes with a bevel gear 20 fixed on thedriving shaft 12. An eccentric 20 is mounted on the opposite end of thedrive shaft 17 which actuates the lever 21 for operating theconventional cutter 22 for severing the connecting chain of stitching 23between the pairs of hosiery 24. The cutter 22 comprises an outwardlyextending arm 64 attached to the stationary dial 6 which terminates in adownwardly extending leg 61 for supporting a fixed knife blade 62. Apair of fingers 63 are pivotally mounted on opposite sides of the arm60, as at 64, and are movable by the lever 21 actuated by eccentric 20to lift the chain of stitching 23 into cutting engagement with the blade62. The foregoing mechanism is conventional in looping machines and itis to be understood various types of driving mechanism may be employedwithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the present invention, the auxiliarycutter comprises a support 25 fixedly mounted on the stationary dial ofthe looping machine having an arm 26 adjustably connected thereto bybolt 26' and extending horizontally therefrom in overhanging relation tothe rotatable ring 9. A leg 27 depending from the arm 26 terminates in alateral support 28 for mounting a stationary knife blade 29 which isadjustably held on the support by a clamping block 30. The arm 26 alsoserves to mount a pair of vertical spaced apertured ears 31 and 32 whichsupport a rotatable and reciprocating shaft 33. Fixedly mounted on theshaft 33 between the ears is a swinging lever 34 which extends laterallyand downwardly from shaft 33 and terminates in a lateral plate 35 whichco-acts with a clamping block 36 for adjustably supporting a movableknife blade 37. The blade 37 moves in a horizontal plane towards thefixed blade 29 and both blades are provided with co-acting cutting edgesadapted to sever the ends 38 of the chain stitching positioned betweenthe "blades. The end of the blade 37 is provided with a narrow forwardextension 39 which overlaps the blade 29 and the extension is held inbearing engagement with the blade 29 by the tension of spring 40 mountedon the lower end of shaft 33 between the ear 32 and collar 41. A nut 42threaded on the upper end of shaft 33 in bearing engagement with awasher 43 seated above the ear 31 serves to reciprocate shaft 33 toadjust the tension of spring 40. Movement is imparted to the swinginglever 34 by a reciprocating rod 44 pivotally connected, as at 45, to thelateral arm 46 extending from the lever 34. The opposite end of.

rod 44 is connected by a ball and socket joint 47 to a coupling 48connected to the eccentric 20 which imparts a reciprocating movement tothe rod.

A suction tube 49 connected to a suitable source of suction power isprovided with a flared nozzle 50 positioned above the cutting edge ofthe stationary knife blade 29 which serves to draw the severed ends 38of the chain stitching to a vertical position whereby the ends may becut to a uniform length. The tube 49 is held in position by a clamp 51which engages the leg 52 of the support for the ear 31.

In operation, the looping machine performs its usual functions in thefollowing sequence. First, the edges of the hosiery are trimmed by theusual cutter A; then the scraps of selvage are brushed away; then theedges are sewed together by a stitching machine B which forms acontinuous chain of stitching with adjacent hosiery connected togetherby a length of stitching therebetwecn; then the connecting chain ofstitching is severed by the conventional cutter all of which steps areold and Well known in the art. The present invention adds to the abovesteps a further step of cutting off the severed ends of the chainstitching to a uniform length thereby eliminating the necessity ofcutting the severed ends after the stockings are removed from themachine as required with machines of present construction.

The auxiliary cutter is mounted on the machine adj acent theconventional cutter and after the connecting lengths of chain stitchingare severed the free ends are brought beneath the nozzle 50 of suctiontube. 49 thus causing the free ends to be drawn upwardly to a positionbetween the cutting edges of the blades 29, 37, whereupon the blade 37is swung by reciprocation of rod 44 to bring the cutting edges of theblades into co-tacting cutting relation to cut off the free ends touniform lengths. The clippings from the free ends are drawn by thesuction into tube 49 and conveyed to a suitable waste receptacle.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a machine including means for sewing together a series of loopedfabrics by a continuous chain of stitching, means for severing the chainof stitching between the looped fabrics, a cutter mounted on the machineabove the chain of stitching having horizontally disposed co-actingcutter blades, one of said blades being movable towards theother bladeand having an extension in hearing engagement with the other blade, airsuction means above said cutter blades for raising and holding thesevered ends of the chain stitching to a position between said cutterblades, and means for. actuating the movable cutter blade to clip offthe severed ends to a maximum predetermined length.

2. In a machine including means for sewing together a series of loopedfabrics by a continuous chain of stitching, means for severing the chainof stitching between the looped fabrics, a cutter mounted on the machineabove the chain of stitching having a pair of horizontally disposedcutter blades provided with co-acting cutting edges, one of said bladeshaving an extension overlapping the other blade, tensioning means forholding said extension in bearing engagement with the other blade, anair suction tube mounted above said cutter blades having a flared enddisposed above the cutting edges of the blades for raising the severedends of the chain stitching to a position between :the cutting edges ofsaid blades, and means for actuating one of said blades to clip off theraised severed ends to a maximum predetermined length.

3. In a machine for sewing looped fabrics comprising a rotatable ring,impaling pins projecting from said ring, stitch forming mechanism forsewing togethed the impaled loop fabrics by forming a continuous chainof stitching above the impaling pins, a cutter mounted above theimpaling pins operable to sever the chain of stitching between thefabrics, a second cutter including a fixed blade horizontally mountedabove said impaling pins, a movable blade slidably mounted on said fixedblade, said blades having co-acting cutting edges, means forreciprocating said movable blade, tension means for holding said movableblade in bearing engagement with said fixed blade, and an air suctiontube having a nozzle disposed above the blades of said second cutter forraising and holding the severed ends of the chain of stitching in acutting position between the blades while the ends are cut off andcarried into said tube.

4. In a machine as described in claim 3 including an adjustable mountingfor said second cutter to raise and lower the cutter with respect to thechain of stitching.

5. In a looping machine having a rotatable dial provided with aplurality of impaling pins for receiving successive fabric articles,means for sewing together the successive fabric articles by a continuouschain of stitching, means for severing the chain of stitching betweenthe fabric articles, a pair of co-acting cutter blades disposed abovethe path of movement of the chain of stitching, a suction tube mountedabove said cutter blades having an elongated open end extending acrosssaid cutter blades and in alinement with the chain of stitching, saidtube being connected to a source of suction for creating a suction insaid tube to raise the severed ends of the chain of stitching to avertical position between the co-acting cutter blades and means foractuating said cutter blades.

6. In a looping machine having a rotatable dial provided with aplurality of impaling pins for receiving successive fabric articles,means for sewing together the sucessive fabric articles by a continuouschain of stitching, a first cutter including a vertically disposed fixedshearing blade disposed above the chain of stitching and pivoted fingersfor lifting the chain of stitching between the articles into shearingengagement with said blade to sever the chain between said articles, asecond cutter including a fixed horizontal shearing blade disposed abovesaid chain of stitching and a reciprocating shearing blade co-actingwith said fixed blade, a suction tube having a flared end disposed aboveand transversely of the blades of said second cutter for raising thefree ends of the severed chain of stitching to a vertical positionbetween the blades of the second cutter whereby the free ends are cut toa uniform length.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,214,170 Kiewicz Jan. 30, 1917 1,292,527 Steere Jan. 28, 1919 1,374,940Martin et al Apr. 19, 1921 1,853,377 Randall Apr. 12, 1932 2,149,886Hadley Mar. 7, 1939 2,191,288 Pons Feb. 20, 1940 2,356,378 Capolupo Aug.22, 1944 2,607,101 Stout Aug. 19, 1952 2,712,805 Peterson et al. July12, 1955 2,824,436 Stack et a1. Feb. 25, 1958 2,908,154 Butler Oct. 13,1959 2,989,935 Butler June 27, 1961 UNITED STATES PATENTS 772,913 GreatBritain Apr. 17, 1957

